Visual journalism
Encyclopedia
Visual journalism is the practice of strategically combining words and images to convey information.
s that resonate with humans across cultures and time and conveys meaning instantaneously at a deep level. Visual journalism is an outgrowth of the practice of graphic facilitation and recording that began entering corporate board rooms, conferences, and think tank meetings in the 1970s with the leadership of David Sibbet, founder of The Grove Consultants International. But its roots date back to ancient cave painting
s and carry forward in the work of designers, architects, and engineers. Only recently has interactive visualization
of this sort moved out into common use in all kinds of group engagements. The scholarly father of this visual form of communication is Robert Horn
, Ph.D.
, a fellow at Stanford University
and author of the book Visual Language.
tradition of the cartouche
, contain words. The symbols do not simply represent but participate in the meaning and, in combination with evocative phrases, are designed to provoke creative thinking. Visual language is one tool described by author Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind
for the emerging "conceptual age" where people must tolerate ambiguity and communicate quickly, often before concepts are ready to be captured in traditional writing.
- The social network of visual journalists
Society for News Design
- A trade organization for newspaper designers
National Press Photographers Association
- Industry trade group for photojournalists
Universal
Visual journalism is premised upon the idea that at a time of accelerating change, often words cannot keep pace with concepts. Visual journalism incorporates ancient symbolSymbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
s that resonate with humans across cultures and time and conveys meaning instantaneously at a deep level. Visual journalism is an outgrowth of the practice of graphic facilitation and recording that began entering corporate board rooms, conferences, and think tank meetings in the 1970s with the leadership of David Sibbet, founder of The Grove Consultants International. But its roots date back to ancient cave painting
Cave painting
Cave paintings are paintings on cave walls and ceilings, and the term is used especially for those dating to prehistoric times. The earliest European cave paintings date to the Aurignacian, some 32,000 years ago. The purpose of the paleolithic cave paintings is not known...
s and carry forward in the work of designers, architects, and engineers. Only recently has interactive visualization
Interactive visualization
Interactive visualization is a branch of graphic visualization in computer science that involves studying how humans interact with computers to create graphic illustrations of information and how this process can be made more efficient....
of this sort moved out into common use in all kinds of group engagements. The scholarly father of this visual form of communication is Robert Horn
Robert Horn
Robert "Bob" Martin Horn is an American water polo player who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics and in the 1960 Summer Olympics.He was born in Minneapolis....
, Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, a fellow at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and author of the book Visual Language.
Meaning is suggested
Visual journalism is not a series of symbols with precise meanings but rather images that suggest complex meanings and, in the EgyptianAncient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
tradition of the cartouche
Cartouche
In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an ellipse with a horizontal line at one end, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name, coming into use during the beginning of the Fourth Dynasty under Pharaoh Sneferu, replacing the earlier serekh...
, contain words. The symbols do not simply represent but participate in the meaning and, in combination with evocative phrases, are designed to provoke creative thinking. Visual language is one tool described by author Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind
A Whole New Mind
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-brainers Will Rule the Future is a book by Daniel H. Pink, author of Free Agent Nation. A Whole New Mind posits that the future of global business belongs to the right-brainers.-Key concepts:...
for the emerging "conceptual age" where people must tolerate ambiguity and communicate quickly, often before concepts are ready to be captured in traditional writing.
Online resources
Visual EditorsVisual Editors
Visual Editors is a 501 non-profit charity organized for educational purposesis a U.S. public charity that promotes journalism education via online forums, peer-to-peer sharing resources and offline training events held at universities and working newsrooms.The 501 non-profit was incorporated in...
- The social network of visual journalists
Society for News Design
Society for News Design
The Society for News Design is an international organization for professionals working in the news sector of the media industry, specifically those involved with graphic design, illustration, web design and infographics....
- A trade organization for newspaper designers
National Press Photographers Association
National Press Photographers Association
NPPA is the acronym for the National Press Photographers Association, founded in 1947. The organization is based in Durham, North Carolina and its mostly made up of still photographers, television videographers, editors, and students in the journalism field...
- Industry trade group for photojournalists